Patrick Roy has turned down an offer to become the head coach of the Colorado Avalanche.
The Hall of Fame goaltender said he phoned Avalanche president Pierre Lacroix late Tuesday night to tell him he wasn't accepting the team's offer due to family reasons.
"All I can say is that the Avalanche's offer was more than interesting," Roy told a news conference Wednesday inside Quebec City's Colisee.
Roy, the co-owner, general manager and coach of the QMJHL's Quebec Remparts, plans to stay in the city to support his sons.
His son Frederic plays for the Remparts but is thinking of giving up hockey while an older son Jonathan has already left the sport to pursue a music career.
"My quality of life here in Quebec City is extraordinary," he said. "I adore this adventure, I adore working with youth. For me it's a daily challenge -- working to help these youths realize their dreams."
Roy, who would not reveal details of his conversations with Lacroix, said he mulled the offer for two weeks before making the decision.
Both sides had refused for weeks to confirm that Roy had been offered Tony Granato's coaching job.
Roy met with Lacroix in Denver earlier this month, about three weeks after general manager Francois Giguere was fired following Colorado's last-place finish in the West. Colorado's 32-45-5 record was its worst since moving from Quebec to Denver in 1995.
Roy led the Avalanche to Stanley Cup titles in 1996 and 2001.
Avalanche spokesman Jean Martineau said Granato, who has two years left on his contract, is still Colorado's coach.
Earlier this month, Roy had denied receiving an offer from his old NHL team, and there was a report in Montreal that he also had been offered the Avalanche's vacant general manager's job, perhaps as a way to sweeten the offer should the Canadiens also try to hire him.
He also won two Stanley Cups as a member of the Montreal Canadiens. His No. 33 has been retired by both Habs and the Avalanche.
Roy said he has only spoken to the Avalanche about an NHL job.
The 43-year-old retired from the Avs in 2003 and took over as coach of the Remparts in 2005, guiding them to a Memorial Cup in his first season.
He is a hands-on coach and administrator who is involved in nearly every decision affecting the team.
Roy said Wednesday that there were 780 Remparts season-ticket holders when he took over the team. Now, he says there are 7,800.
His return to Quebec City has been marked by controversy. Last season, he was suspended five games and fined $4,000 after son Jonathan attacked opposing goalie Bobby Nadeau of Chicoutimi during a playoff game. The incident prompted Quebec's sports minister to create a committee to address the issue of gratuitous violence in hockey.
